The first month of term passed in a haze of excessive homework, strained Quidditch practices, and the usual ebb and flow of the Hogwarts rumor mill.

The amount of gossip that centered around his own family was exhausting to Louis and always had been, but never to the extent it was now. People were still whispering about the break up between Lily and Caleb, especially since certain members of the Quidditch team liked to tell stories of tension-filled practices that fueled the flames. Others talked about the fact that the Head Girl appeared to be off the market and was often seen receiving long letters and even the occasional gift with the post. Even Lucy was being talked about due to the fact that a divide seemed to have inexplicably grown between her and Bobby Finnigan, whom she'd been previously rather inseparable with.

There was even still speculation on whether or not Hugo and Anastasia Bennett were any kind of item. No incidents had occurred throughout the term to make people suspicious, so Louis had to assume it was Anastasia perpetuating that one.

Then there was the occasional photo or article in the Daily Prophet or any number of magazines about the family members not at Hogwarts. And seeing as his own sister had recently been photographed sporting what looked suspiciously like a baby bump, Louis was on the receiving end of curious looks and whispered conversations. It was a bit annoying to be the subject of gossip because he was going to become an uncle, but he knew there were worse reasons for people to talk about him, and he was starting to worry things would veer in a negative direction sooner rather than later.

The first Hogsmeade trip was announced at the beginning of October, and while the seventh years were at liberty to go into the village every other weekend, Louis had wanted to wait for his date with Jill until there was a large enough group of people going that he and Jill might get lost in the shuffle. Of course, this plan had somewhat backfired.

Louis knew there'd been the occasional gossip about who he might ask to Hogsmeade or why he'd never really dated before, but it had never bothered him. It was all speculation and didn't have anything to do with his actual life. But now that he actually had a date to Hogsmeade, it was rather irksome to know that people were talking about it. Rather than blend in like he'd hoped, the fact that he was going with a girl at all made them stand out even further.

When he finally told Caleb that he'd asked Jill out over the summer, the news was met with more enthusiasm than he'd predicted. Part of Louis had been nervous to tell Caleb, seeing as he was still heartbroken, but then he'd always been good at being supportive of his friends. Hugo was as well when he learned that Jill had said yes, and Louis was convinced that neither of them had been gossiping about his blossoming love life.

He didn't know how word had gotten around that he was taking Jill Boot to Hogsmeade, and part of him didn't care. Jill didn't seem to care either, considering how she hadn't shied away from joining him at the Gryffindor table for the occasional meal or sitting next to him in the classes they shared. They weren't together, exactly. At least, they hadn't had a conversation that defined anything. They hadn't really talked about it since they'd been in his parents' kitchen. He'd mustered up the courage to hold her hand a meager two times and for a total of three minutes. His inability to do anything more than that was something he was struggling to overcome.

It wasn't lost on Louis that he was a popular and attractive bloke. He felt arrogant simply thinking it, but with a dose of Veela genes combined with the name Weasley, it was hard not to have some form of notoriety. He'd been told numerous times by well meaning or jealous friends and even acquaintances that any girl would be lucky to be seen with him. Comments like these had always rubbed Louis the wrong way and had likely contributed to how reluctant he'd been to be seen with anyone as something more than a friend. And those same fears and insecurities that he'd yet to truly have when it came to Jill were growing louder and louder the closer they came to their first date.

It could've been any number of their friends that had said something to someone else, but what if it had been Jill that had spread the word? What if she just liked the idea of being the one to snag Louis Weasley?

He shook away the thought as he sat on his bed to tie his shoes. Caleb had left already with their other three dorm mates, Daniel Creevy giving Louis an envious look as he left. Their departure gave Louis a few minutes to collect himself before he had to meet up with Jill. He couldn't decide whether he was nervous or excited and rather thought it was likely he was some combination of the two. With a deep, bracing breath, he rose from the bed, running a hand through his hair and checking his pockets with the other to make sure he had his wand and his gold. The last thing he did before checking his watch and leaving the room was to grab his jacket, all the while hoping that the slight misgivings that had begun to creep into the corners of his mind were about to be thoroughly squashed.

By the time Louis reached the entrance hall, only a few more students were lingering, but none of them were Jill Boot. He checked his watch once again, realizing he must've walked faster than normal through the corridors thanks to his nerves. He was a few minutes early.

It wasn't long that he had to wait, however. Jill came down the stairs that he knew led towards Ravenclaw Tower a few minutes later, the sight of her causing his heart to rise to his throat. She beamed as she hurried down the steps, her long brown hair half pulled back and flowing behind her. She'd worn short black boots, dark wash jeans, and what looked to be a rather warm turtleneck sweater in a pale blue under a lightweight gray jacket. He could tell she'd taken time to repaint her nails, and though he knew she wore makeup, she always did so in a way that enhanced her features rather than covered anything up. She'd done the same today, save for the fact that she'd worn something on her lips that made them look redder than usual.

If there was one thing Louis was certain of when it came to Jill, it was that she wasn't shy. Sure, she'd been a flustered mess every time she saw James back in their third year, but that had been an anomaly. She'd always been confident in who she was and what she wanted - when she could actually make up her mind about what that was - and it had always drawn him to her. And whatever nerves she might possibly have about their day weren't overpowering those features as she approached him with an ease that Louis envied. She could probably see how tense he was with nerves.

"Ready?" asked Jill, smiling beautifully as she came to stand beside him. Louis nodded, doing his best to smile back through his mild panic.

What if she didn't have a good time? What if she decided she didn't really like him as more than a friend? What if she thought he didn't like her? Could she be doing this just for a laugh? She'd said she fancied him, right? And that she was looking forward to their date and whatever came after?

His nerves were calmed a bit as they made their way out of the castle and she slipped her hand into his.

"You okay?" Jill asked as they walked out into the refreshingly sunny October day. Louis nodded, then realizing he hadn't said a word since he'd seen her, figured he should probably attempt to.

"You look nice," he said, almost immediately berating himself afterward for choosing a rather lackluster word. But Jill didn't appear to care as she gave him a bright smile.

"So do you."

The last of Louis' nerves didn't fully die down until they were an hour into their date. He should've known that their years of friendship and Jill's ease with which she tackled anything in life would've made the whole thing natural and simple. And it did. In a lot of ways, it felt like any other trip into Hogsmeade, except it was just the two of them and she would routinely grab hold of his hand as they walked from one shop to the next. Louis had still yet to muster up the courage to make this move himself.

Their final stop was, of course, the Three Broomsticks. It was normal for Hogsmeade dates to end this way, and Louis always figured this was because everyone who visited the village tended to end their day there, so it made things less awkward for the couples if the date had gone poorly and they needed an excuse to bow out before the walk back to the castle.

Louis had a feeling they wouldn't be needing any type of excuse.

"Lou, you already bought me taffy," said Jill with slight exasperation as he ordered and paid for butterbeers for both of them up at the bar. "You don't have to pay for everything."

"I know," he said, a slightly sheepish smile on his face as he took their beverages from the barmaid. "I just want to."

Jill rolled her eyes as he led them to a booth in the back, but she was smiling. He set their drinks on the table and slid in, and she surprised him a moment later by sliding in next to rather than across from him.

"Bit chilly in here, isn't it?" she said innocently, angled toward him and sitting close enough that their knees bumped together. He watched her as she took a few sips of her butterbeer, contemplating what his next move should be. The day had been so easy and relaxed, far less stressful than he'd been anticipating based on stories of other first dates he'd heard. And it had only solidified how much he truly fancied the girl next to him.

With a confidence that came from his certainty of how he felt combined with the encouragement Jill had been giving him all day, Louis draped his arm along the back of the booth, his hand hanging down to lightly rest against her arm.

"So, when are we doing this again?" Jill asked, looking up at him with an expectant smile that Louis couldn't help returning.

"How does as soon as possible sound?" he asked. Jill nodded.

"Sounds perfect. Don't get me wrong, I like our friends, but this might be my new favorite way to spend a day in Hogsmeade."

"On a date?" Louis asked. Jill gave him a playful bump with her elbow.

"With you, silly," she said. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I just really like spending time with you. We haven't done much just the two of us before."

"No," he said with a smile, every word she spoke easing his insecurities more and more. "I suppose we haven't. Definitely something we should do more often."

He took a drink of his butterbeer as she grinned up at him. "So," said Jill. "Are you excited about becoming an uncle?"

Louis shrugged as he set down his drink. "I suppose so," he said. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. I think it'll just be weird to see my sister as a mum."

"You're lucky, you know," she said a bit wistfully. "The only way I could ever be an aunt is by marrying someone with siblings. I can't even imagine what it would be like to witness a sister having a kid."

"Yeah," said Louis, struck by the thought. "I guess I hadn't thought about it that way."

"Can you imagine how many more Potters and Weasleys will be running around one of these days?" she said in amusement. "There's already a lot of you now."

Louis chuckled at the image. "Can't wait for Christmas in ten years when we have to rent out Hogwarts just to fit all of us."

Jill let out a laugh that had a few heads turning in their direction. The pub had only been about half full when they entered, but it had steadily filled up in the meantime. He noted Corbin Zabini sitting with a few other people from Slytherin, including Riley Clarke and Eddie Marsh. Molly and Ethan were up at the bar, and Louis felt guilty for his momentary relief that he wouldn't be the only Weasley talked about in the following days.

There was also a group of girls nearby that Louis was fairly sure were all Ravenclaws. And he had a feeling that the glances and whispers the girls aimed their way weren't of the most well meaning nature.

They'd been getting looks all day, but none quite like this.

Jill squirmed a bit beside him and cleared her throat, drawing Louis' attention back to her. He looked down just in time to see her stare challengingly at the booth full of girls and grab his hand that was by her shoulder. She pulled his arm down and around her so it was no longer resting on the booth, scooting closer into his side and lacing her fingers between his, their hands dangling in full view of the other girls.

A sinking feeling appeared in Louis' stomach.

"Ignore them," said Jill, her hand squeezing his momentarily as she adopted an unbothered expression.

"Is there a reason they look less than pleased?" he asked, doing his best to keep his eyes on Jill and not the glares she was receiving.

"Oh, they're just jealous," she said with a wave of her free hand. "There are quite a few fans of Louis Weasley in my house. They spent the last few weeks denying that we were going on a date together, so I don't think they're happy to be proven wrong."

She took a sip of her butterbeer and Louis took a moment to try and collect his thoughts.

"And how exactly did they know we were going on a date?" he asked.

"I told them," she said like it was no big deal. But Louis couldn't help thinking that it actually was.

She had been the one to start the rumors. Why? She knew how much he loathed gossip. Especially when it came to his family. Yet she'd gone and flaunted their date in the face of other girls. Had the ability to do that been the only reason she'd said yes in the first place?

No, it couldn't be. She'd said she fancied him. That any Veela charm he might try to use wouldn't really work on her. It was just his insecurities telling him to doubt her. Right?

He didn't have much longer to contemplate his misgivings because Jill was waving over Ethan and Molly.

"You don't mind, do you?" she asked, and Louis took the opportunity of his cousin approaching to withdraw his arm from around Jill's shoulders.

"It's fine," he assured her. She looked at him shrewdly as he leaned against the table and took a good long drink. Jill had always been fairly intuitive and he was fairly easy to read, so he knew it would be nearly impossible to hide from her that something was bothering him.

"I didn't know you'd be around today," Louis said to Ethan as he and Molly slid in across from them. He could still feel Jill's eyes boring into the side of his head and hoped the newly arrived couple couldn't pick up on the less than content atmosphere.

"This is actually the first weekend that worked for both of us," said Ethan, a huge smile on his face as his arm went around the back of the booth behind an equally happy looking Molly.

"What's wrong?" asked Jill. Louis looked at her in surprise, not just that she'd been so blunt, but that she seemed upset rather than concerned.

"What?" he said reflexively, knowing he was probably trying too hard to act normal as she furrowed her brow.

"Is this a bad time?" Molly asked uncertainly, but she was ignored.

"What's wrong?" Jill repeated, looking in no mood to back down. Louis let out a frustrated sigh before jerking his head towards the table of girls, most of whom were back to minding their own business.

"Why'd you tell them?" he asked. Jill arched an eyebrow.

"What, I'm not allowed to brag?" she asked. And it was quite possibly one of the worst things she could've said.

Louis wanted nothing more than to immediately walk away from the stares and the whispers, which he'd been able to handle as long as it was for something good happening in his life. But now, sitting next to her, he felt like nothing but a spectacle - something for someone to flaunt for their own ego. This had been why he'd steered clear of getting close to someone. He knew it could happen. He'd just never expected it to happen with Jill Boot.

"Anyone else want a refill?" he asked, standing rather abruptly. He could sense Jill watching him, likely in confusion. Molly and Ethan were too. Not waiting for any of them to respond, he bumped his leg against Jill's, still not looking at her as she scooted out of the booth to let him pass. He was about to storm off to the bar when she caught him by the arm.

"Hey," she said, her tone a bit snappish. Louis reluctantly met her confused and hurt eyes. "You're coming back, right?"

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as his eyes flew around the room. The girls in the booth near them were all watching their exchange, and a few other tables of students were taking note as well. With a clenched jaw, Louis looked back down at Jill and shook off her hold on his arm.

"No," he admitted, trying not to feel guilty despite his anger as her face fell. "I think you've managed to prove your point."

And before she could have a chance to say anything in return, he marched out of the Three Broomsticks, an ache in his chest that he had a feeling would be present for a very long time.

"He's acting like a prat," said Lily, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed as she and her cousin walked down the streets of Hogsmeade. "I don't see any reasonable explanation for his behavior."

Lucy let out a sigh. She was thankful for Lily's company, but her cousin did have a tendency to harp on about things long after others were willing to dwell on them. "Yes, there is," said Lucy in resignation. "He doesn't like me that way. He never said he did."

"Rubbish," Lily said with a scoff. "He might not have said it, but he sure as hell acted like he fancied you. And he has to know how you feel about him. He should've said something to you."

"No, he shouldn't have," Lucy argued as they entered Honeydukes. "We were just friends. He didn't make any promises so he owes no explanation."

"Lucy-"

"Lily, please," said Lucy, turning to face her cousin. "I'd really rather not talk about it, okay? Bobby Finnigan is perfectly free to spend his time with anyone he pleases. Including Dara Finely."

Her gut clenched at simply uttering the words, but they were true. Bobby might not be seeing his fellow Gryffindor, but it felt like a natural next step at this point as he continued to spend increasingly more time with her.

"Fine," said Lily, letting out a resigned sigh and linking her arm with Lucy's. "But I'm buying you whatever sweets you want, all right?"

Lucy smiled gratefully at her cousin, both for dropping the subject and the sweet gesture.

They stopped in at Gladrag's with the excuse to look for dresses for Roxanne and Lorcan's wedding, knowing they still had plenty of time before their March wedding. Lucy ended up leaving with a new set of earrings at Lily's encouragement. She wasn't one to wear much jewelry, but they were understated and actually to her taste. They made their way from there to the Three Broomsticks, having gotten a bit of a late start on the day in town and not able to make any other stops before they'd need to return to the castle.

Most of the other students that had spent the day in town were gone as Lily and Lucy enjoyed their butterbeers. They made their way back up to the castle only a short time later, the sun setting and dinner approaching as they chatted about whether Teddy and Victoire would have a boy or a girl.

"They should know before Christmas," Lily said with excitement. "I can't wait to buy all sorts of things for my future niece or nephew."

Lucy smiled in agreement as they entered the castle, continuing into the Great Hall as the subtle chatter signaled dinner was just under way. They made their way towards the Hufflepuff table, which had become their most common location for meals over the past few weeks. Not only did it give Lily an excuse to steer clear of Caleb - who she still wasn't speaking to outside of the necessity Quidditch brought - but it also had become increasingly hard for Lucy to be around Bobby.

It wasn't that they never talked anymore. They did. Going to and from the occasional class together and sometimes during meals. But the study sessions in the library and days spent together in the joint common room had slowly become nonexistent. He'd started acting less and less interested in being around her, almost becoming standoffish. Lucy had never needed to try hard to spend time with Bobby Finnigan. He'd always been eager to seek her out. Their relationship had been predictable, in a way - Lucy knowing she could count on him to seek her out when he wanted to spend time with her.

She couldn't help thinking that maybe that had been the problem. Maybe he'd felt like he was doing all the work. Maybe he didn't think that she was really interested in being more than friends.

But she was. She really, really was.

They were joined by Charlotte Bray not long into dinner, a secretive smile on her face.

"How was time with your brother?" Lucy asked her fellow Hufflepuff.

"Good," said Charlotte, although the glint in her eyes gave away she was hiding something. Lily and Lucy only had to look at her expectantly for her to lean towards them and speak in a low voice. "He took me to Diagon Alley to look at rings."

Lucy and Lily's jaws both dropped in excited surprise.

"Don't say anything," Charlotte was quick to say, glancing around at their surroundings. People were still trickling into dinner so they had relative privacy. "He'd kill me if word managed to get back to Alice."

"We won't say a thing," Lily assured her as Lucy nodded enthusiastically. "But oh my god I'm so excited for them!"

Charlotte laughed. "I am too. She spent a little bit of time with our family over the summer and my parents loved her."

"What about your sisters?" asked Lucy.

"Oh, they love Malcolm," said Charlotte as she helped herself to some pasta. "And Alice is the sweetest. No way they wouldn't like her."

Lucy stared at her dormmate curiously, poking absentmindedly at the fish on her plate as Lily asked about when the wedding would be. Before Charlotte had a chance to answer or Lucy was able to formulate a question out of the thoughts swirling around her brain, they were joined by someone from the Slytherin table.

"Hey, Bray," said Corbin Zabini, a flirtation grin on his face as he slid onto the bench next to Charlotte. She rolled her eyes and spun her pasta with her fork.

"Yes, Zabini?" she asked, giving off the appearance of being aloof, but Lucy could see Charlotte's hidden smile. The two of them had been flirting and occasionally snogging all term with no semblance of any type of commitment, something Lucy couldn't quite wrap her head around but hadn't felt like challenging her friend on. So long as she was happy.

"Care for a stroll around the grounds tonight?" asked Corbin, picking up a chip and tossing it into his mouth. Charlotte smirked. They all knew this was basically code for finding a place to snog.

"Sure, but it's October," she pointed out. "Won't it be a bit chilly?"

Corbin grinned cheekily and scooted closer to Charlotte, bumping his shoulder against hers. "I'm sure we'll find some ways to keep warm."

Lucy saw Lily mime gagging into her pumpkin juice out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help letting out a muffled chuckle. It was enough to grab Corbin's attention, though. He gave them both nods in greeting and began piling food onto a plate. Lucy didn't expect much more from him since he normally only talked to Charlotte, so she was a bit surprised when Corbin addressed her and Lily a moment later.

"So, what's up with your cousin?"

They both stared at him for a moment before sharing a questioning glance.

"Which one?" Lily asked.

"Louis," said Corbin, squeezing out some ketchup onto his plate. "He got into a bit of a huff and stormed out of the Three Broomsticks today. Looked like he'd been on a date, too, before your sister and some bloke joined them."

He said this last bit with a nod towards Lucy, who felt an empathetic twinge in her belly. Had Louis' date with Jill gone poorly?

"When was this?" asked Lily, her brow furrowed in concern. Corbin shrugged.

"Dunno. Over an hour ago?"

Lucy shared another look with Lily, this one of uncertainty and concern. She didn't want to meddle. That was something their family did a little too often. But she couldn't help feeling concerned and admittedly curious. Subtly, she glanced towards the Gryffindor table, noting the absence of Louis. She then directed her eyes to the Ravenclaw table, unable to spot her sister or Jill Boot.

"Come on," said Lily, obviously having similar thoughts to Lucy. She downed the last of her pumpkin juice before grabbing her bags from their trip into Hogsmeade and standing from the table. "You know the password to the Head's common room, yeah?"

Lucy nodded, joining her in hurrying out of the Great Hall and seriously hoping she and her cousins weren't about to face a whole new season of relationship related drama.

Really, though. Had the last one truly even ended?

A/N: So some of these storylines have been going in directions I hadn't originally expected, but I'm letting it happen and enjoying the process! Hope you are too! I have things further down the road for this story that I do have solidly planned and written I can't wait to get too. Stick around and review! Let me know how much of a drama queen Louis is and how Lucy should fight for what she wants. These kids. Smh.